Council aims to continue Derby’s development momentum

The leader of Derby City Council has been explaining why the city’s development momentum is set to continue in 2026 following a year of ‘completion’.

At Marketing Derby’s Annual Business Event held earlier this month, Councillor Nadine Peatfield took to the stage for a conversation in which she reflected on Derby’s development momentum – and the projects to look out for in 2026.

2025 was a landmark year for Derby as it witnessed the opening of a number of major schemes, such as Vaillant Live, the refurbished Derby Market Hall and the University of Derby’s £75 million Cavendish Building.

Nadine said: “2025 was an incredible year for the city. It was one of those ‘completion’ years – where all the hard work put in previously came together.

“It was exciting to see so many people being brought back into the city. These things aren’t done by chance – they’re done on purpose. The purpose here was to help revive our high street.”

In recent years, thousands of new homes have been built in the city centre – and in 2025, Derby’s ‘residential revolution’ showed no signs of abating.

At the heart of this continued momentum is Wavensmere Homes, which last year put the finishing touches to its 925-home Nightingale Quarter scheme, on the site of the former Derbyshire Royal Infirmary – and is now making rapid progress on breathing new life into Friar Gate Goods Yard, a site which had previously stood empty for over 60 years..

Nadine said: “Part of the plan of bringing vitality back to the city is to have more people living in the city centre.

“When somewhere like Friar Gate Goods Yard finally gets developed – it’s amazing. The site has been abandoned for so many years. Projects like this re-vitalise and re-energise our city.

“The public-private sector partnership that exists in Derby has enabled this to happen.”

Elsewhere, efforts have been made to introduce more open and green spaces in the city centre – including the Eastern Gateway scheme, a new urban garden and play area, between the bus station and Derbion.

Nadine said: “Part of the plan about greening our city is to stop that ‘concrete jungle’ feel.

“As well as the Eastern Gateway, we’ve been putting new planting and seating all around the city to make it more welcoming – and we are looking to do more with our latest Public Realm Strategy, which is currently out for consultation.”

She was then asked what was planned for Derby over the coming months and the next few years.

Nadine said: “The most exciting thing I’m looking forward to is the developments in the Market Place – which is really moving on. The plans for the renovated Guildhall are also coming to fruition.

“There also plans at the Station Gateway, which will be more housing, commercial and shopping space – which is also moving at pace.”

Creating new Grade A office space is key to improving the offer of Derby city centre.

Nadine was asked how plans for the Market Place and the continued development at Becketwell could support that aim.

She said: “Office space is another part of the jigsaw in terms of bringing people into the city. We’ve been concentrating on city living and playing – the next stage is working.

“It’s so important to get workers back into the city centre. The Grade A office space at the Market Place is going to be a phenomenal building – and there’s also Grade A office space planned for Becketwell.”